Attractions
Ride the Ducks Travelers and local Seattle-ites of all ages love to Ride the Ducks! Our hilarious, Coast Guard-certified maritime captains will take you on an adventure tour of Seattle while they narrate historical information and local folklore, dance to funky music and QUACK you up with jokes and comedy! Then, SPLASH into the water to cruise on Lake Union and enjoy a breath-taking view of the Seattle skyline! Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo saves animals and their habitats through conservation leadership and engaging experiences, inspiring people to learn, care and act. For more than 110 years, Woodland Park Zoo has been a cherished community resource and a unique urban oasis. Generations of Puget Sound families have come to the zoo to marvel at the animals and be inspired by the peaceful and beautiful surroundings. Space Needle The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, a landmark of the Pacific Northwest, and a symbol of Seattle. Built in the Seattle Center for the 1962 World's Fair, which drew over 2.3 million visitors, nearly 20,000 people a day used its elevators. Once the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River,7 it is 605 ft (184 m) high, 138 ft (42 m) wide, and weighs 9,550 tons. It is built to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour (89 m/s) and earthquakes of up to 9.1 magnitude,8 as strong as the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. It also has 25 lightning rods. It has an observation deck at 520 ft (160 m) and a gift shop with the rotating SkyCity restaurant at 500 ft (150 m).From the top of the Needle, one can see not only the downtown Seattle skyline but also the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, Elliott Bay, and surrounding islands. Photographs of the Seattle skyline often show the Space Needle prominently, above the rest of the skyscrapers and Mount Rainier. Visitors can reach the top of the Space Needle by elevators that travel at 10 miles per hour (4.5 m/s). The trip takes 41 seconds, and some tourists wait in hour-long lines. On windy days, the elevators slow to 5 miles per hour (2.2 m/s). On April 19, 1999, the city's Landmarks Preservation Board designated it a historic landmark. Theo Chocolate Theo Chocolate is the first roaster of organic and fair trade-certified cocoa in the United States. Theo Chocolate was first established in March 2006 by Jeff Fairhall and Joe Whinney in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. Theo's sources of beans are always changing. Theo has sourced beans from Costa Rica, Madagascar, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, and the Congo. As an equatorial crop, cocoa grows in the United States, but only in Hawaii. Over the past decade, Theo Chocolate faced many challenges when trying to source good quality cocoa beans and establish a marketing strategy. Theo Chocolate recognizes the injustices and the social and economic degradation that many farmers are faced with in the cacao industry. Theo Chocolate wants their company to provide fair pay and work for those farming their organic beans. Pike Place Market Pike Place Market is a public market overlooking the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, United States. The Market opened August 17, 1907, and is one of the oldest continuously operated public farmers' markets in the United States. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants. Named after the central street, Pike Place runs northwest from Pike Street to Virginia Street, and remains one of Seattle's most popular tourist destinations. Gum Wall The Market Theater Gum Wall is a local landmark in downtown Seattle, in Post Alley under Pike Place Market. Similar to Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, California, the Market Theater Gum Wall is a brick alleyway wall now covered in used chewing gum. Parts of the wall are covered several inches thick, 15 feet high for 50 feet. Argosy Cruises For locals and visitors alike, there’s an Argosy Cruises experience for whatever you’re looking for. Take a sightseeing boat tour of Elliott Bay or the Ballard Locks. Savor Seattle’s early days with our Taste of Seattle History cruise. Or enjoy a romantic dinner cruise with live music and dancing. Whether you’re after something fun to do with kids or the perfect date idea, Argosy Cruises is the Seattle must-do experience.